Rotted Rowan

Above

Fanart used was created by Mai-Shibata-Uchiha.

Disclaimer: The beautiful story of Naruto belongs to Kishimoto, as do all his characters. Naasica is the only character that belongs to me.

Warning: All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter.

Beta: Cyndaquil123, Shadow Rebirth

"Some men just want to watch the world burn."

-Alfred

Tsunade carried me, holding me close to her chest and humming. My eyelids were growing heavier with each note and I gave a large yawn. My hands curled into fists and I feebly wrapped my arms around her neck. I was too small to make it all the way around. My head was resting in the crook of her neck on her left side, my face turned out. My right hand carried up to my mouth, curled into a fist and I gripped her shoulder cloth nearest to my jaw, and my left hand gripped her pigtail lightly on her right side.

Tsunade started to subtly rock me, still humming softly.

My eyes finally drifted shut and another yawn escaped me.

Several minutes passed before Tsunade began to carry me back to my room, all the while I continued to fight off sleep. She gently placed me in my crib, smiling lovingly and kissing the top of my forehead.

"Sweet dreams, little sapling," Tsunade whispered.

I slipped off into a pleasant dreamland.

. . .

. .

.

I held up my hand proudly, each leaf sticking to each of my fingers, looking triumphant. I was covered in sweat and bruises, and scratches dotted my form, but I felt victorious. It had taken another two weeks since Jiraiya's surprise visit to finally be able to achieve the leaf exercise. In only a handful of days, I would be starting the academy, too, and my ANBU guards would be outta my life.

Jiraiya had spent the majority of the day assisting me with my chakra control. He took me out for lunch and breakfast before dropping me off back home for dinner. He stayed for a couple days, but we did not train for the rest of them (he was determined to do more childish indulgences with me, such as swimming, going to the park, or the toy store... though that last one seemed more for him than me, considering the amount of single moms in that place). He had to leave again, though, and he promised that when he returned he would assist me with training again.

I wasn't entirely certain what prompted his interest in me. Perhaps it was because I was Tsunade's last family member, and he loved Tsunade and thus wanted to help me. Maybe it was because he was impressed that I survived on my own for two months; after being effectively kidnapped from Konohagakure without any proper training. It might have just been because, and this is what I suspected, he felt an obligation towards me on behalf of Tsunade. That because his teammate, and the woman he was massively in love with, abandoned me, that it was his duty to take care of me. Something he had originally failed at due to the kidnapping, but was now trying to compensate for that.

Madara suspected something similar.

Madara looked up at me, the moonlight catching his hair and making it glow a pretty silver. He may have been an older man, but there were times where I seemed to forget that. For just a brief moment, I wouldn't see a frail, wrinkled man, but instead I would find myself staring at a young, vibrant Madara at his prime. "Hmph. Took you long enough. Come back down, now. How much chakra do you have?"